Gortatlea Mart manager, Maurice Brosnan described the calf sales over the last two weeks at the Co. Kerry-based mart as “a game of two halves”.
At this week’s sale on Monday, March 11 there were over 500 calves on offer, with a 99% clearance achieved.
Comparing the previous week’s calf sale to this week’s, Brosnan said it was a pleasure to run a mart.
He noted that many of the calves on offer were making double the price they would have made the previous week.
Gortatlea
Brosnan mentioned that exports have not been plentiful this week due to harsh weather conditions.
He said: “They say that does not affect the good calves, but a rising tide floats all ships.
“When the small calves are a tough trade, it does affect the good calves – but when the small calf is a good trade, it helps the bigger calf.”
The ring at Monday’s sale was full of customers, with good strong calves making more than you would expect, according to Brosnan.
The trend from the mart showed once again that, like is the case in many other marts, calves that are well-fed and strong were in demand among farmers.
He noted calves arriving to the mart are slightly older, with delays in the return of genotyping samples pinpointed as the reason for this in some cases.
“For the farmer with the good colour calf, it is more than paying them to keep them for an week or two extra,” he stressed.
He said that the price being paid for a five week old calf is about €150 more than a three week old calf.
With the purchaser of these calves much happier leaving with a stronger calf, that should not give them any issues, according to Brosnan.
Calves
Speaking to Agriland on the trade, Brosnan said that good Angus and Hereford cross calves that were around three-weeks-of-age and weighing 50kg, sold for up to €300 – with some reaching the €400 mark.
He noted that many of the lighter type calves weighting between 30kg and 40kg, where harder sold on the day – with these calves making between €70 and €120.
Commenting on the trade for continental calves, he said that the good Belgian Blue calves made between €400 and €500 for calves between three to five weeks of age.
With the majority of these calves selling for between €300 and €400.
For the Friesian bulls, Brosnan said that farmer-type 50kg and above calves were making from €100 up to €200. But, the week previous, many of these calves made very little and a good number went unsold.
While the shipping type calves sold for between €30 and €70 on the day, again, many of these calves went unsold the preview week.